The Storm Before the Calm
by MermaidMidna
Summary: "The first time a girl climbs into bed with me, it's not sexy or a precursor to something sexy. I mean, for God's sake it's Casey!" While sharing an apartment at Queen's, Casey seeks comfort in Derek during a thunderstorm.


The first time a girl climbs into bed with me, it's not sexy or a precursor to something sexy. I mean, for God's sake it's Casey, terrified over a freaking thunderstorm going on outside. I'm not saying Casey isn't sexy. She can be sexy at times, like when she's dancing or in that tight, orange bikini… Heh…

But let's not get into that right now.

What I'm trying to say is… she has no intentions of jumping me or touching or frenching or even making any sort of physical contact when she knocks on my door clad in pink button down pjs, clutching a pillow and asking if she can spend the night in my room.

It's like 1 AM, and let me tell you something, people. I like my sleep. If I'm not filling an hour of a day with eating, hockey, girls, Casey, or video-gaming, I'm sleeping. You totally read that list correctly. Casey doesn't qualify in the group of 'girl time.' My lovely stepsister is in a category unique to her klutzy, keenerish, typical grade-grubby, anal self.

Anyway, sleep. Yes. I like sleep. And Casey interrupting my good old sleepy times is throwing off the balance of nature. Normally I am able to endure and withstand all forms of sound during my slumber, but for some reason I hear her ridiculously loud pounding on my door over the thunder outside. I groan, rolling lazily out of my bed as the racket doesn't cease and open the door, groggily staring at the keener before me.

"Watchu want?"

"Derek, I…" She hesitates, her arms crossed across her pillow and her eyes red and puffy. That is _just_ what I need. A crying girl in my room while I'm trying to sleep.

"Spit it out. I'm tired." I say, irritated.

"Can I stay in here tonight? I don't like the storm. I just need to be with someone." she says quickly, her bottom lip trembling a bit.

It takes a few minutes for my brain to register what's going on, but my thought process goes a little something like this:

1.) What the hell? Why would she come to me? Isn't Lizzie much better for this situat-

2.) Oh, haha. We share an apartment now. Right. No little siblings to comfort her.

3.) Ha, she needs a little sister to comfort her from a storm! What a wimp.

-this thought immediately gets stored in the part of my brain called "Things I Can Make Fun of Casey for Later."

4.) Why am I standing here looking like an utter fool when a girl just asked to spend the night with me?

5.) Holy fu- Don't think that! That _girl_ is _Casey!_

6.) She's still staring. Say something, idiot!

"Um, yeah. Whatever. Just make sure you don't _touch_ me and infect me with your grubbery." I turn around unceremoniously and plop back down into bed.

"Thanks." I hear her mumble, and I nod, closing my eyes and scooting as far away from the side she's sleeping on as possible. I'm still a guy, after all, and I don't want to risk anything happening…

Two seconds later when she's all settled in, I become extremely uncomfortable. _Of course._ First of all, I'm not used to sleeping on one side of the bed, and normally I face the other direction if I do sleep on my side. I flip over and open my eyes briefly, only to be confronted with a pair of feet.

"What the hell!"

"What, what's wrong?" Casey asks, sitting up abruptly and looking at me, concerned.

"What are _these_ doing _here?"_ I ask incredulously, pointing to her feet in my fugging face.

"Well, I thought-" she begins to spout out, but I cut her off before she starts rambling.

"No, no. Feet should never be in my face. Ever. Especially not your nasty, stinky, fungus feet. Switch." I pat her foot lazily and she raises an eyebrow. I raise one of mine right back at her. That's the end of that discussion, and she's swinging around, resting her head in its rightful place. I mean, next to mine. Well, you know what I mean.

But now all of the sudden I'm confronted with another problem as she's facing me and practically _breathing _on my face with her minty-

"Can you…" My request trails off and she looks at me expectantly.

"Oh, right." She gets the message I'm trying to send and flips around, her back now in my line of vision. I breathe a sigh of relief and close my eyes, _so _ready to resume my sleeping.

Just as I'm about to drift off, I feel her leg graze mine and it sends shivers up and down my spine.

"_Shit._" I say under my breath, my stomach in knots.

"Sorry." I hear her whisper. It's so soft that I don't even know if she intended for me to hear her.

I sigh and squeeze my eyes shut, trying to concentrate on something or someone besides the girl laying next to me. I'm on edge, my heart pounding at the close proximities we're in. We're alone. We're at university. And the temptation to do _anything_ is much stronger than it's ever been.

"_I can do this."_ I tell myself. "_I've resisted four years of her so far. What's one night?"_ Ten seconds later and-

BOOM!

A giant clap of thunder sends me jumping out of my skin. Casey screams and that freaks me out even more than the thunder. I grip my sheets and suddenly I feel a weight on my chest as Casey jumps on me and clings to my shirt for dear life, her head buried in my chest.

The only sound now is the thumping of the rain against the windows and the pavement outside. Lightning flickers briefly and then the world feels calm again. And yet, Casey is still clutching at my chest, breathing heavily.

I am at a loss of what to do, Casey closer to me than ever before, and me being unsure of how to comfort her. I bring my hand up to rest on her back, and I start to stroke it, back and forth. This just makes my stomach churn even more. She's so warm, and only a thin layer of clothing separates my fingers from her skin…

"It's okay, Case. Just the thunder." I say softly, and she finally looks up, her cheeks flushed as she notices how close we are…

She breaks away from me quickly, biting her lip. "Sorry." she says, not making eye contact with me. We both just lay there for a while in awkward silence, neither of us even attempting to go back to sleep. I watch her finger trace lines on the sheets…

BOOM!

Another clap of thunder sounds and Casey squeals, gathering the blankets close to her. She looks so helpless and scared, and, damn it, I can't help myself.

"Come here." I say, sitting up a bit and holding my arms out to her. This will be the death of me…

She just stares at my outstretched arms in confusion. "Really?" she whispers, and I can't even give a decent reply. I just nod, and I notice a slight smile on her face as she inches over to me and I wrap my arms around her.

My heart is pounding wildly in my chest and I pray that she can't feel it as I rub up and down her arms with my hands, trying to comfort her. "It's alright. I've got you." I say, and the words almost scare me in a way. I can hardly breathe as she turns into me and splays her arms across my chest so that she's grasping onto my shirt instead of blankets now. Her cheek is against my chest and there is no way in hell that she's not hearing my heart right now. She scoots herself even closer to me and nestles her face into my neck, not shy about personal space at all… I might go crazy. I just might.

I stare at the ceiling, trying to control my breathing and heart rate and trying _not_ to think about Casey who is practically lying on top of me, my neck currently a pillow for her head. My thumb is still stroking back and forth, now along her waist, and I feel my fingers slide across the bottom of her shirt and make contact with her bare skin.

I feel a sharp intake of breath, and I curse myself. I went too far already, and now she's going to be freaked out and-

Before I can let go of her, she _giggles, _sitting up, her hair falling on my face, our faces so close together it's unnerving.

"Thanks." she says, sweeping her hair behind her ear as I crinkle my nose from it tickling me. She lays back down, her head next to mine on my pillow. "For letting me stay here tonight…"

I merely nod.

"Goodnight, Der."

I don't sleep at all that night. No, instead I stare at the ceiling and listen to the sound of her breathing, feel the rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest against my own. Dawn breaks and I close my eyes, pretending to sleep when she leaves for her early morning class. I shiver as her warm body leaves mine, and she tenderly tucks the covers up under my chin, kissing my forehead when she finally manages to get out of bed and on her way.

My skin burns where her lips touched. I'm in a hell of a lot of trouble as I recall the events of the previous night in my head all day long. I can't stop smiling like an idiot, either. And when asked a question in algebra, I almost blurt out 'Casey' instead of the correct answer.

I avoid our apartment and her as if my life depends on it, but my efforts are thwarted that very night anyway.

* * *

The second time a girl climbs into bed with me, it's Casey again, this time claiming that she can't sleep. _"Can't sleep" or "Can't sleep without __**me**__?" _I wonder, but I don't say it out loud. I sigh, sitting up and opening my arms to her right away. She cuddles up next to me, and I realize this is probably going to be my second sleepless night in a row.

Her hair smells like strawberries. As I absentmindedly start playing with it, the scent fills my lungs. She sinks into my chest a little, and I rest my chin on the top of her head, still twirling locks of her hair between my fingers.

She falls asleep in my arms, and I barely get any rest that night, slipping in and out of slumber as I feel her warm breath upon my neck.

* * *

And so it continues like this. Casey always makes up some excuse to come and sleep with me… I mean, in the same bed with me. One night she's cold, the next she's homesick, and lucky for her there are an abundance of thunderstorms.

I end up taking extremely long naps during the say seeing as I can't sleep at night when we're in such close proximities without… doing anything.

It gets harder and harder for me to restrain myself, and it seems our bodies get closer and closer every night, flirting with the idea of so much more. She'll wear only a tank top and shorts for pajamas, or I'll go shirtless. Sometimes I wonder if she wants me just as much as I want her, her fingers lingering a bit too long on my bare chest, never complaining that I'm half naked as she lays in bed with me.

But how am I supposed to make the first move not _knowing_ exactly how she feels? The two of us… together… we're a dangerous pair. A taboo pair. And this thought is what holds me back every time I come in contact with the girl I'm majorly crushing on… the girl I might just be in love with.

* * *

One night she doesn't show up, however, and I'm at a loss for what to do. On one hand, I might actually get a decent night's sleep without her, but on the other, I have to wonder if she's okay or if I did something that might upset her.

It's almost 11 when I hear sobbing coming from her room. I swallow, realizing that my worst fears could be confirmed. If I made her cry… But then again, I don't think I've done anything to hurt her recently. I decide to suck up my phobia of tears and go find out what's wrong.

I knock on her door and hear the sound of her sniffles. I realize she is trying to stifle her sobs. "You okay, Casey?" I ask, turning the door handle.

"No, Derek, don't-" But I'm already walking into her room and shutting the door behind me. She's sitting on her bed, the covers pulled up over her legs. I shuffle in next to her, drawing the covers up to my waist as well, sitting cross-legged.

"What's wrong?" I ask her softly, patting her knee with my hand. "I could hear you crying all the way from my room."

She looks at me with watery eyes and bites her lip. 'I thought you didn't do tears."

"Yeah, well, I was missing my uh, sleeping buddy…" I chuckle nervously, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "So, tell me. What's the reason for Niagara Falls this time?"

She takes a great, shuddering breath. "I had this… terrible dream." she says, the tears starting to flow fresh again. I scoot in closer to her and put my arm around her shoulders as she cries. She rests her head on my shoulder.

"It was about you." One of her tears drips on my neck and I shiver, goosebumps running up and down my arms. "You were dying, right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do, and it was so scary and so real and-"

I stop her short by placing a finger to her lips. "Shh… I'm okay. I'm alive."

She squeals when I gather her up in my arms and sit her in my lap so that she's facing me. "See, all of me is here." I take her hands in mine and place them to my chest. "My body." I do the same for the rest of me, guiding her hands. She finally smiles and I feel accomplished. "My arms, my legs, my head." I place my forehead against hers and she giggles as I look into those deep blue eyes of hers. "I'm okay, Case." I whisper. "It was just a nightmare."

I don't even know what I'm doing. I've never been this intimate with her. Ever. Yet here she is, sitting in my lap, our faces so close together that our noses are practically touching.

"I'm sorry I woke you up for something so stupid." she says, looking down at our hands… still clasped. "I know how much you like sleep."

"It's fine, Case. Really." I say, closing my eyes and breathing in her scent.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I open my eyes to see Casey pulling away. I instinctively tighten my grip on her hands. She looks at me, bemused, so I let go. She lifts her hand to my face and hesitates for a moment before brushing my hair away from my eyes. She places her arms around my neck and my hands find her waist. She smiles at me. "Well?"

"Hmm?" I say, my mind foggy and my mouth dry. I totally forgot her question.

"Why are you being so nice?" she asks again, cocking her head to look me in the eyes. "This isn't normal. This isn't… us."

"Because, Case, I…" my sentence trails off as I realize what she's asking and that I don't have a good or quick lie for an answer. I'm entirely to dizzy to think of anything, and I was never good at expressing my feelings verbally… so I do the only thing I _can _do. I lean down and brush my lips against hers. An audible gasp escapes from her lips, and I pull away, fearing the worst.

This time it's my turn to say sorry. But before I can, she crashes her lips into mine, nearly knocking me over with the forcefulness of her kiss. I don't exactly realize what is happening at first, but then her hands in my hair and her tongue in my mouth snap me back to reality.

I snake my fingers under her pajama shirt a bit and feel her smooth skin. She pushes me down against the pillows, and I smile against her lips. Since when is _Casey_ so forceful? I don't stop to question her, though, because:

a) that would be rude

b) I'm really enjoying this

and c) she probably wouldn't let me.

I have not only wanted this for the past month she's been sleeping in the same bed as me, but for those four long years we lived together. And by the way she's acting… she most definitely felt the same way. Heh.

She trails kisses down my jaw and begins to suck on my neck. Her hands slide under my shirt…

"_Oh shit. Not good!" _I think, getting far too worked up by my stepsister's antics. I sit up, grabbing her wrists and taking her with me. She breaks from me and looks at me in confusion and alarm.

"Case… too fast." I manage to breathe out, and I can't believe I have to be the one to tell _her _this.

She blushes and looks down, nodding her head. "You're right… I'm sorry. I got carried away."

I release her wrists and tilt her chin up so that she's looking me in the eye. "Don't apologize." I say, laughing. "I was just getting… too excited there."

"Oh." she says. "Oh!" Her face glows an even brighter red as she realizes what I mean. I lean down and kiss her gently on the lips, much tamer than our last kiss. In my kiss I try to express how much she means to me, put every bit of emotion I can into it without being too forceful.

I pull away and she smiles at me. "I love you, Der."

My heart leaps out of my chest, and I can feel my eyes grow wide. I did not expect that… at all. But, surprisingly, the words don't scare me at all. My face breaks out into this huge smile, and I've genuinely never felt happier in my entire life, this weird sort of warmth filling me from head to toe. _She loves me._

"I love you too, Casey." I say, meaning every word. And finally, _finally_ I can say it without having to worry about anything.

"There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep now." she giggles, placing her arms around my neck.

"Yeah, well that's just karma finally getting back at you. I haven't been able to sleep for the past month." I say, smirking at her and wrapping my arms around her back, pulling her closer to me. "Not with you in my bed."

"Sorry." she whispers, brushing her lips against mine.

"Is that the only word you know?" I tease her. She laughs, and I love the sound of me making her happy. "Well, _I'm_ sorry." I say, raising my eyebrows.

"For what?" she asks, squinting her eyes at me.

In one swift move, I roll around and pin her underneath me. "For this." I wink at her and lean down to take my turn at sucking on _her_ neck.

* * *

The next time a girl climbs into bed with me, it's obviously Casey. Come on, you know you saw _that _coming. I have a good feeling she'll be the only girl to inhabit my bed from now on.

Anyway, the next time a girl climbs into bed with me… Well, I'll spare you the details, but let's just say it's one more sleepless night…

But hey, I'm not complaining.

* * *

**AN: I was very inspired, yet again, and neglected my chapter story. (Which, btw, I **_**will **_**finish the next chapter tonight if it kills me!) I have been so busy and unable to write lately, but I felt like this was the perfect story to get me back into writing Dasey. I hope you guys like it. Please review! I really love hearing your feedback!**


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